Wise Old Monkeys
by Kali Cephirot
Summary: XOVER WITH THE LION KING: Rafiki trusts his instincts – you don't get to be the oldest baboon on Africa without doing that, no sire – and they're telling him that this will require a wish...... ONE SHOT, FINISHED.


**Wise Old Monkeys.**

Rafiki thinks and thinks hard before he actually calls the witch. In all his life – and he was already old when Mufasa's father became king – he has only called her three times, and one of those was just to celebrate Simba being born.

But still, Rafiki trusts his instincts – you don't get to be the oldest baboon on Africa without doing that, no sire – and they're telling him that this will require a wish.

"It has been a while, Rafiki," She's inside a steaming lake, smiling at him. Rafiki laughs, because he's sure she hasn't changed at all during all these years. Still, it's something he's grown used to, one of those things that don't change visually until they do.

"You've been well, witch?"

"I can't complain," she laughs too, a soft sound that reminds Rafiki of the waterfalls the Pride used to have back when Mufasa was king. "So, do you have a wish?"

"Who says I have a wish?"

"You don't?" Her eyes seem amused, and Rafiki grins as well. "Well, if it's a social call, let me brush the dust of my gossip..."

"Well, well, there is a wish. But the old Rafiki knows better than to make a wish without considering things, so it's not an immediate thing," he adds, but then he crosses his arms, thoughtful.

The witch's eyes are patient, her smile still amused, and Rafiki ponders. He doesn't know what actually caused Simba to leave, other than Mufasa dying, and while that might have crushed the cub's heart, he doesn't think it would have been enough for Simba to leave everyone away.

No, that whole thing stinks of Scar's doing. Some good ol' fashioned manipulation to the mind of a grieving cub and... well. He's not quite sure yet what he did, but whatever it was, he could bet all his bananas for the week that it's Scar's fault.

He glances towards the witch. She's smiling. Smiling smiling smiling, these weird hairless, furless monkeys. He almost wishes that it was the wizard the one who gifted wishes: he and the old human wizard get along so much better than the witch and he. But then again, perhaps that's why it's the witch the one who sells them.

But still, destiny awaits and this is one of those things that never get an answer, so he lets go.

"You remember the lion cub?"

"Oh, yes. The mangoes you shared back then were delicious," the woman adds, pushing a strand of black hair from her face.

Rafiki grins. "Yes, well. The cub needs guidance."

"I thought that was your role."

"Partly, yes. But he needs family guidance," he says, and before the witch can say anything at all, he moves both hands in front of him, shushing her. "No, no, no, I know what you will tell old Rafiki, and I don't want Mufasa to come back to life. Imagine that! A dead king walking again, no, no, that's a big no. But if he could talk with his son..."

"The realm of the dead and the realm of the living stay apart for a reason," Yuuko says, but there's a glint in her eyes, the glint he gets when he's trying to be obnoxious on purpose. If he didn't know that everything's a circle he'd find it infuriating, but as it is he just snorts.

"Well, yes, but what if the dead want to talk with the living? Then what would happen?"

"Then they'd need to know that there is a price," she says and she loses a little bit of her playfulness. "Ghosts are not supposed to linger where the living, but if they still have something to do they won't move on, so it's possible, then, for the king to speak with his successor. But..."

"Ooooh, I knew there'd be a but," Rafiki mutters. "What's the price?"

"Your stick."

Rafiki whines a little. It's a good stick. He hasn't had to replace it in over four seasons despite it all, and the earth knows that he has put it to good use, hitting some hyenas that have tried to get smart with him.

"You sure I can't bribe you with mangoes?" he asks, but even so he just holds it close for a moment before he drops it inside the water. He watches it sink for a moment in the water and then it disappears, and it always amazes him to see how that magic works, like smoke without fire and lightning without thunder.

After a moment, the witch shows him his stick.

"Luckily, the other interested parts already paid their price."

"They did? Huh," he doesn't think that Simba actually would know about such a person existing (because he's pretty sure he'd have tried to bring Mufasa back if he did) but still. "What did they give?"

"Pain and loneliness from the future king, who has been wishing every day deep within his heart to talk with his father again. And the former king has paid with patience, knowing that he can't rest until everything is as it should," she says, eyes clouded. But then she smiles again, bright and eager like the morning and Rafiki remembers that despite it all he does like this witch. "Do call again to tell me how everything goes."

"Ha!" Rafiki huffs again, siding close to the water reflection. "But you already know how it goes, yes?"

"But I hate to ruin surprises," the woman laughs again, half covering her mouth before she disappears.

Rafiki has grown long used to it to be offended, and he's too giddy and happy to even try. Simba's alive, he will have to take him to the water mirror for him to learn about things and then, oooh, then destiny will set in motion at last. There's lots he has to do.

But first things first.

He needs to make himself another stick.


End file.
